Toy highway



Feb. 11, 1941.. YT. ROR-ER 2,231,089

TOY HIGHWAY Filed March 7, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 11, 1941. OR F; 2,231,089'

TOY HIGHWAY Filed March'7, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 730/1415 goeeeo I Feb. 11, 1941. T. RORER TOY HIGHWAY Filed March 7, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 u I I l I a I INVENTOR; 7740/14/15 ,ZJZE/Z ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 11, 1941 4 roy @rcGHWAY Thomas Borer, Hatfield, Pa., assignor of onethird to Horace H. Smith, lPennsburg, Pa., and one-third to Harry I. Kulp, Lansdale, Pa.

. Application March 7, 1939, Serial N 0. 260,265

2 Claims. (01. 46-11) This invention relates to toys of the structural bridges, etc., and an important object of the intype. and is concerned primarily with the provention is the provision'of such unit with means vision of a toy or miniature highway. for providing proper scenic efiects. Thus a traffic The invention has in view, as an object, the circle ordinarily includes a central plot of grass,

5 provision of a structural toy comprising a pluand certain units of the toy must be provided with 5 rality of units, each unit being provided with -means for effecting the required representation.

means for detachably connecting the same to an- Another highly important object of the invenother unit whereby various highway formations tion is the provision of connecting means of the may be simulated in miniature. type noted above which are peculiarly designed An important object of the invention is the for the construction of the particular units with 10 provision of such a toy including various units which they are used. Thus one type of connectcertain ones of which are characteristically dising means may be employed when the units are tinct from others and identitypeculiar parts of made from sheet metal, while a different type is highways. Thus one unit is a miniature curve, employed with the cardboard or composition another a miniature crossroad, another a T roadbed. 1

crossing, yet another a five-point crossing, still Various other more detailed objects and advananother the component parts of trafiic circles, tages of the invention will in part become ap- Ys, etc. parent, and in part be hereinafter stated, as the In providing a toy highway of the character description of the invention proceeds. above noted it becomes important to provide The invention, therefore, comprises a struc- 20 means for detachably connecting adjacent units tural toy composedof a plurality of units which together. Accordingly, an important object of the are adapted to be arranged together to form invention. is the provision of such means. miniature highways. Each unit is intended to Still another object of the invention is the probe a representation of a particular highway forvision of a toy highway of the character above mation, and is provided with means for detach- 25 set forth in which each unit is stamped from ably connecting the same to adjacent units. Each sheet metal. In this connection another im-- unit may be of a sheet metal or cardboard conportant feature of the invention is the provision struction, and. in either event carries curbing of means for detachably connecting the sheet simulating the usual curbing of roadbeds. Parmetal units. ticular features of the invention are the actual 30 Still another object in view is the provision of construction of the unit parts, and the particular a sheet metalunit of the character above noted type of means employed for connectingthe difwhich is provided with a curbing at each side ferent types of units together. intended to simulate the curbing ordinarily in- For a full and more complete understanding of cluded in roadways. the invention reference may be had to the follow- 35 Another object of the invention is the provision ing description and' accompanying drawings, of a toy highway comprising a plurality of units, wherein as above indicated, each of which units comprises Figure 1 is a side elevational showing of a Y a cardboard or similar composition base and bridge unit,

40 which base carries curbing at each side. Figure 2 is a top plan view of the unit shown in 40 Inasmuch as the toy of this invention is inv Figure l. tended to be arranged to simulate highways it is Figure 3 is a section taken about on the plane important that the roadbed of each unit actually represented by the line 33 of Figure l, resemble the roadbed of a highway. Figure 4 is a top plan view of a unit represent;

Hence another object of the invention is the ingafive-point crossing,

provision, in' a toy highway, of roadbeds con- Figure 5 is a perspective view of a straight unit stituting structural representations of the roadin which the roadbed is made from cardboard or beds of highways. In' obtaining this objective an composition and carries wooden curbing at each adhesive is first applied to the surface of the roadside,

bed, and a; material such as sand sprinkled there- Figure 6 is a perspective view of a straight unit 50 over. Thus a close simulation of the surface of a made from sheet metal, highway is provided. Figure 7 is a top plan view of a unit-represent- As above pointed out, the toy in intended to ing a T crossing, include certain units as representations of such Figure 8 is a top plan view of a straight unit,

highway constructions as trailic circles, culverts, Figure 9 is a top plan view of an elbow bend, 55

' unit,

Figure 17 is a bottom plan view with parts broken away showing the manner in which certain sheet metal units are joined together,

Figure 18 is a perspective view of a connecting means,

Figure 19 is a bottom plan view showing the connecting structure for the units having a cardboard composition roadbed,

Figure 20 is a longitudinal section taken normal to the showing of Figure 19,

Figure 21 is an enlarged detailed view in perspective bringing out another type of connecting structure,

Figure 22 is a sectional view through the curbing at one side of the structure shown in Figure 21,

Figure 23 is a view similar to Figure 21, developing still another type of connecting means,

Figure 24 is a section through the curbing of one side of the structure of Figure 23,

Figure 25 is an enlarged detailed View in perspective bringing out the construction of the roadbed simulating a highway construction,

Figure 26 is a view similar to Figure 25 showing the units as made to simulate a snow covered highway, and

Figure 27 is a top plan view of a curbing unit.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the structural toy is illustrated as comprising a plurality of units each of which represents a highway formation. Thus the unit referred to'as 9 in Figure 4 simulates a five-point crossing. The unit I I of Figure 8 represents a straight section of roadway. The unit I2 of Figure 7 is a miniature of a T crossing. The unit I3 of Figure 9 simulates an elbow bend.

Figure 10 shows a traffic circle which is referred to in its entirety by the reference character C, and which is made from a plurality of Y units each of which is identified as It. The center of the circle C is represented by a piece, such as a mirror I5. Figure 12 shows a unit I6 that represents one type of curve, while Figure 13 shows a similar unit II developing still another .type of curve.

Figure 14 brings out a unit I8 in simulation of an 8 curve. Figure 27 shows still another type of curve unit designated I 9. A Y unit is referred to generally at in Figure 16, and-is shown as consisting of a straight highway section 2i, with a branch 22 inclined with respect thereto. A unit cross road is designated 23 and is shown in Figure 15.

Each of the'units 9, II, [2, I3, M, I6, Ii, I8, I9, 20 and 23 may be made from any appropriate structure, although this invention has particularly in mind the use of one of the structures depicted in either Figure 5 or Figure 6.

In accordance with the showing'of Figure 5, the roadbed of the highway which is referred to as R ismade from a cardboard or suitable composition base, such as shown at It), and which .base carries curbing 24 at each side. The curbing is made from wood that may be joined to the cardboard base Iii as by an adhesive. Inasmuch as the curbing of the usual highways is made in sections, the curbing 24 is marked off in sections,

as depicted at 25. 1

Another contemplatedconstruction for the various units is to stamp the same from sheet metal, in which event the construction of Figure 6 is formed. In such a construction, both the roadbed R and the curbing at each side are made from a single sheet of sheet metal designated 8. This sheet metal is formed with a channel struc ture 26 at each side in representation of the curbing.

Referring for the moment more particularly to Figures 5 and 25, it will be noted that Figure 5 shows the roadbed R as substantially smooth.

This view is intended to bring out the condition of the unit prior to application of the highway surface. The roadbed R may be coated with a suitable adhesive such as sodium silicate and then sprinkled with a granulated material such as sand, the same being designated 27 in Figure 25. Any desired coloring material may be included with the adhesive and/or the granulated material to give a roadbed of any desired color.

Inasmuch as highways are often covered with snow it might be desirable to provide certain units in representation of a snow covered highway. In such event, rather than sprinkling the adhesive coated roadway with a granular material, a crystal or flake-like material may be sprinkled thereover. Thus a snow or ice covered roadway is closely simulated. Figure26 develops such a construction, and in this modification the crystals 28 cover the curbings at the side as well. Referring now more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the bridge unit there illustrated will be described. Such unit comprises side pieces 29 which may, as shown at 30 in Figure 1, be made to represent a rock construction. These side pieces may be cut out to form a recess at 3| to represent the arch of a bridge. These side pieces 29 have upper arcuate curved edges 32 to which is applied the roadbed R. This roadbed R will carry the usual curbing at 23, and exterior of the curbings 26, in spaced relation thereto, rails 33.

Between the rails 33 and the curbings 26 the roadbed R may be provided with asuitable material providing the required scenic efiects. Thus the strips 34 may be made to represent grass plots.

Each of the units above described is intended to be joined with another unit of similar construction, although of difierent design. Thus any of the units 9, Ii, I2, I3, I4, I6, II, I8, 20 and 23 of sheet metal may be joined with any other sheet metal unit. Also any of these units which are made with the cardboard base roadbed may be joined to any other unit of similar construction.

When the sheet metal construction is employed the connecting means brought out in Figures 1''! and 18 is preferably employed. A connecting device is intended to be associated with the channel structure 26 at each side, as brought out in Figure 1'7. This connecting device, which is referred to in its entirety by the reference character 35, comprises a pair of leaf springs 35 of bowed formation which are joined together centrally thereof, as indicated at 31, so as to present flared end portions the extremities of which are turned inwardly, as shown at 38.

Thus one-half of the device 37 may be inserted in one channel 26, and the flared portions of the springs 36 will be compressed to frictionally engage the sides of the channel. In a similar way the other half of the device will be inserted in a channel 26 of the next adjacent unit to complete the connection.

A highly preferred type of connecting structure for use with the roadbeds R of cardboard or composition is'brought out in Figures 19 and '20. In this arrangement each end of each unit carries a strip 39 on its underface, and which strip is joined to the bottom face of the base l only at the side edges, as represented at 40. Thus the intermediate portion of each strip is free from the base l0. Y

A connecting tongue 4| is inserted between the strip and the base of one unit,and also between the strip and base of the next adjacent unit, and the frictional engagement detachably maintains the assembled relationship.

Figures 21 and 22 bring out still another form of connecting device for the unit including the wooden curbing. Thus the curbing of each unit at one end carries pins 42 that are embedded therein, and these pins are intended to penetrate the wooden curbing of the next adjacent unit to establish the connection. I

A somewhat diflerent type of' pin arrangement is brought out in Figures 23 and 24. In this form the connecting means takes the form of a staplelike member 43 having a back or base terminating in upturned points 44, These points 44 are intended to pierce ,the cardboard base l0 and the wooden curbing thereabove, as clearly brought out in Figure 24.

While preferred specific embodiments of the invention are hereinbefore set forth it'is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact constructions illustrated and described, because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a toy transportation system, a pair of miniature road sections each comprising a roadbed, and curbing at each side, said roadbed and curbing being stamped from sheet metal with the curbing defined by open channel structures, said channel structures opening onto the underside of said'sections and a frictional fastening device received in adjacent channel structures to detachably maintain the units in assembled relationship.

2. In a toy transportation system, a pair of miniature road sections each comprising a roadbed, and curbing at each side, said roadbed and curbing being stamped from sheet metal with the curbing defined by open channel structures, said channel structures opening onto the underside of said sections and a frictional fastening device received in adjacent channel structures to detachably maintain the units in assembled relationship, said fastening device comprising a pair of leaf springs of bowed formation joined together at the 30 center.

THOMAS RORER. 

